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Sheriff, here's the story: My little boy has been around guns since he was born. He has helped me clean and strip my guns since he turned 3, and since then he asked me every time if I would take him to the range. My answer for an entire year had been, "I'll take you when you're older". On his 4th birthday he looked me in the eye and asked me if he was older. I said he was, so his reply was, "you said I could go with you when I was older." How can I argue? As for the weapons in question, the firearm he is shooting is a Walther P22 .22 caliber automatic. I think he can handle it. The rest of them he needed a little help with (but trust me, I had him familiarize himself with all of them). It is important totake the curiosity out of them from an early age. Since that day, my son has a better understanding of what comes out the business end of a firearm and wants no part of it. Thebest part about it is that I now havea pemanentrange partner. BTW, he loves the Kalashnikovs the best.

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Sheriff wrote:

am I only one there that feels this child is too young to be handling those particular weapons? :shock:

I think it depends on the child. My 4 year old is absolutely not ready to handle any guns whatsoever, not even a BB gun. Or maybe I'm the one that isn't ready for it...either way, it depends on the kid, and to some extent, the parent.

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.40Cal: Most excellent! I have 5 boys and I too feel the magic number was 4. Each one of them have been shooting since then. Only one of the five has shown no interest in guns after he was 5. Just not the gun type. The other 4 own their own guns. As you related, I have been preaching to parents for years (as a scout leader, in refference to earning rifle badge) "Remove the curiosity" lessen the danger. At the age of 6, my youngest son was tapping "10's" at 25meter course with my AR-15. He still loves that gun. So I say, well done. It does depend on the maturity of the child, but also the support of the parent.